SAPPHIRE EYES, FLAMING LOTUS
by Candy Lemon
Summary: When Portgas D. Ace sets off in search of the notorious mutineer Teach, an unexpected turn of events find him stranded in a small town and in the company of one so far removed from his world of adventure and tragedy. What at first seems like a chance occurrence soon appears to be a destined meeting of fated souls.
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's note: I will only say this once: I do not own One Piece._**

**_Warning: This is going to be smutty so peel your virgin eyes away if you can't handle it._**

**_Certain words or phrases are marked with asterisk for clarification at the end of every chapter._**

**_Enjoy _**

_CHAPTER 1_

It had been exactly eighteen days since he'd left the entire crew at sea, much to their disapproval. He'd gone from port to port, following the leads he got in his search for the rogue ex-crewmate, the murderous mutineer, Teach, newly referred to as Blackbeard. It had only then began to dawn on him that perhaps his decision had been too rash, his actions not well thought out. In eighteen days, he had run dry of all monetary resources. Normally, that wouldn't have been a problem. He was, after all, a pirate of the Whitebeard Crew. Fire Fist Ace, they called him. It was the great pirate age and men like him were of means, in more ways than one.

However, he had wound up in a small seaside town he had neither ever been to nor heard of nor known anyone from, without a Beri* on his person, bringing the word "stranded" to a whole new light. Yet he'd made up his mind to not resort to theft or violence to get by. It was imperative that he not draw unnecessary attention to himself if he was to sail through with his plans.

He could still feel the rage burning within him but rage alone would not suffice to keep him fed or pave his way.

The long and short of Ace's plan had been to make quick work of his manhunt. He hadn't realized at the time that there were more factors in play, factors out of his control. The last tip he'd received was that Blackbeard had been spotted in Crystal Cove meeting up in with two other men. Nothing more. However, it had turned out to be quite the dead end. Blackbeard had left several hours prior to Ace's arrival, destination unknown.

That was not the worst of it.

A large number of marine officers had shown up in the town shortly afterwards. Word was that there was even a vice admiral in tow. His movement had been greatly compromised. No doubt they were after either him or Teach…maybe both.

It was a bind. Stranded in unfamiliar territory with neither a means of survival nor escape; the threat of getting captured by the marines looming heavily over his wanted head. His bounty now stood at five hundred and fifty million Beri. He was big game! If the World Government ever got their hands on him, it would be the gallows for him. They would even do it just to make a statement against the Great Pirate Age.

Regardless, someone had to bring Blackbeard to justice! To murder a crew mate in cold blood, to renounce allegiance to the captain and the ship…Unforgivable!

Thoughts of the events left Ace livid every time they surfaced. He remembered painfully the image of Thatch lying dead in a pool of blood…

He clenched his fist till the knuckles turned white. _Soon_. He closed his eyes and found composure. Soon, he would deliver justice.

His stomach growled, for the umpteenth time that day. Ace had been running on an empty stomach for nearly three whole days. Anyone would have been worn out from the physical exertion but it was particularly difficult for him, a bearer of devil fruit powers. It was rarely mentioned, but the devil fruit powers took a toll on the host body's energy. Subsequently, bearers had unnaturally large appetites and could hardly go very long without food.

Sunset. The town wasn't highly populous and there were few tall buildings but it had that relic beauty common with all old coastal towns. The view of the amber sun setting over the ocean never ceased to captivate him. The last of its rays had turned the sky a warm orange and the colours danced and shimmered in broken reflection over the waters.

The streets were filling up with marine officers. His body was giving in. He had overreached and over-exerted and his chickens were coming home to roost. He wasn't going to last long without food and rest. A fierce hunger was mauling him and his insides felt painfully hollow. How many years had it been since he'd felt that way? He just had to find some place…

He began to make his way across the town. He purposed towards a part of the town that was far away from the busier centre, keeping his head low and taking alleys wherever there were any. Civilians were still walking along the streets, but they all seemed to be heading into a building: houses, motels, restaurants and the occasional bar. Eventually, he made it across the little town without any trouble.

And there it was: a quiet little pub by the beach. It was surrounded by only a few small houses and little else. This was it. It would have to be. He was spent, sweating from having used up what was left of his energy. All he could do was stumble in and hope for the best. As he made his way through the entrance he noticed, much to his relief that the place was nearly empty. He plopped himself onto a high stool at the counter.

As she busied herself with wiping the counter, a hooded figure took its place on a seat across from her. He wasn't a regular, this one, she noted immediately. She walked over to him.

"Good evening sir! You're just in time for dinner," she said softly.

No response. She tried again, "Would you like to have a drink first?"

His elbows were propped up on the counter, fingers interlocked to form a sort of tent under which he'd kept his face shaded, a thumb to either temple. She wasn't sure what to make of the lack of response and stood there studying the stranger's form for a moment. Finally, she noticed the beads of sweat and the awfully chapped lips. There was a bit of a tremor in his hands and he was breathing through his mouth, rather heavily.

The man needed help. It was clear to her. She went into the kitchen, served up a hot meal and a cold drink and set them before him.

A woman's voice had spoken to him. Ace had hardly heard a word. In fact, for a moment he thought he'd imagined it but the aroma of spicy meat and potatoes and pickled vegetables was undeniable. Slowly, he pulled his hands away from his face. As his right hand reached for the spoon beside the plate, he looked up to see the face of his saviour. It lasted but a moment for he was soon bent over his meal, stuffing himself unapologetically. The image stayed etched in his mind. _Dark hair, blue eyes, warm smile, beautiful face__…_

The moment he looked up at her, that very instant in which their eyes had met, her mind went blank. She stood there staring at him, unable to pull away; uncertain of whether her eyes had deceived her. If they were to be believed, the person seated just across the counter from her, gobbling away at the meal she had cooked, was none other than Portgas D. Ace*, one of the most notorious pirates of the age…though she wasn't sure just what he was notorious for.

She watched him. Just stood there and watched him. It was all she could manage. Her mind had fast been thrown into total disarray. In spite of the hooded coat he wore, she was certain who the man was. There wasn't a doubt in her mind about it. She'd seen enough "wanted" posters with his face on them.

_It's really him. _That one thought was playing over and over in her mind, like a broken record or a line in a nursery rhyme.

The last patron of the day had already left. She'd heard them talking about marine officers in town. There might soon be trouble and they would much rather be in the safety of their homes and out of harms way.

Ace cleared the plate fast. She offered him seconds as he downed the cold mug of beer. All he gave in response was an "mmh", which she interpreted as a "yes" and served him another plate just like the last one …and another …and another. He would look up at her every now and then, never saying a word and she would feel herself blushing.

When at last he'd had his fill, he pushed the plate gently forward and uttered his first words to her, eyes still lowered. "Thank you for the meal, miss."

"It's on the house", she said to him with a sweet smile. "I'm in a generous mood and you're the last patron of the night."

Aah, who was this angel? She must've seen right through him. Was it that obvious? He might have blushed if he wasn't already so filled with awe and relief.

"What's your name?" he asked watching her tuck some strands of her jet black hair behind her right ear. He'd already noticed her beauty when he'd first set eyes on her but was only then in full realization of it. She had silky jet black hair cropped at the nape of her neck, which contrasted highly with her flawless milky skin. Her brilliant blue eyes danced in the light and reminded him of large, polished, exquisitely cut sapphires gleaming in the light of day. Her pretty lips were pink and plush. He struggled momentarily to peel his eyes away from them. She was petite but with a womanly voluptuousness that could not entirely be hidden by the loose fitting clothes she wore.

"Rose," she said, dragging him back into time and space.

"Rose, huh?" He smiled back. "I'm Ace."

Silently, she contemplated mentioning that she already knew exactly who he was and inquiring about his situation, but instead responded with a smile and a nod. It had never been her place to meddle in the personal affairs of her customers.

After all, he would soon be gone and it would become but a distant memory; a mere moment in the grand scale of time. She needed to close up soon anyway. It had been a long day. Hardly anyone had come in since late afternoon.

She studied him closely. The sweating had hardly subsided. Perhaps he was ill. But before Rose could ask, he had stood up to leave.

"It's gotten quite late. I should be on my way. I'm sure there's plenty you have to do before closing up." In truth, Ace knew damn well that he had no place to go for the night. In his condition, he knew he wouldn't get far. He would have to search the beach in hopes of finding an abandoned hut to spend the night in. With food and drink in him at least, he felt a tad more capable than he did earlier that evening and it was thanks to her. He would hate to press.

"Very well," she said, "goodnight…and goodbye." A part of her had hated their parting. It was illogical; she knew that but the feeling was there all the same. Should she have insisted he stay a while? He didn't seem too well…

With a sigh, she turned away and began to clean the polished dark wood of the counter. She chuckled. Pirates were supposed to be villainous and terrifying. But in Ace, she had seen just a man.

_THUD!_

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound. It was the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. She ceased her actions and immediately went towards the source.

There he lay, a heap on the ground. Kneeling beside him, she turned his heavy body face-up. Ace was completely passed out. She put the back of her hand to his forehead and held it there a few seconds. His temperature was through the roof! She made the same motion, this time holding the back of her hand a little above his nose and mouth for a few seconds. His breath was abnormally hot.

He had a high fever. For his body to have just caved in on him in such way, Rose guessed he must have caught it at least a day or two prior but had been pushing himself, consequently draining his energy. He needed medical attention and fast! His condition would only deteriorate otherwise. She couldn't just wait there for anyone to waltz in and find him in her premises.

Nothing for it: She had to get him to some place where he could get some form of help even if the help would only come from her. They had only just met but Rose felt an urge to protect him, to save him.

She locked up the front entrance and began her struggle. She managed to pull him up. With her back to his unconscious body, she pulled his arms up over her shoulders and lifted him off the ground. He was much taller than she so his feet would have to drag behind him as she carried him. There was no other way. God, what was she doing?

_*Beri – Monetary currency used in One Piece…like dollars/sterling pounds/Euros/shillings/Yen etc._

_*Portgas D. Ace - In Japan, where the story of One Piece was created, surnames (e.g. Portgas) are mentioned first and first names (e.g. Ace) last._

_Rate & review…Let me know what you think. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's note: I know I took ages to update but I'll try to be quicker about it in future. CC Hueywifey00_

_I just thought I'd mention, I intended for this to be a relaxed but enjoyable read and I hope to see to it thus till the end._

**CHAPTER 2**

After what felt like an eternity, Rose finally reached her house: modest but lovely, made of brick painted pink and with red roof tiles.

Her arms were long past their limit, aching from exertion and she could not be bothered to turn on the lights. And so in the dark, Rose made her way through the living room, past the kitchen, towards her bedroom, the room at the end of the corridor. She knew exactly where every door, every corner and every piece of furniture in the house was positioned; the result of years of creeping around the house in the dark at night. When she got to where she knew her bed was, she turned around and let his weight fall off of her and onto the soft mattress.

She thereafter went to make a phone call.

"_Moshimoshi_?* Kanda-_kun_*? …It's Rose…Yes. I hate to call at this time of night, and with the town as it is, but I need to call in a favour…Yes, a rather big one. You're the only one I can trust…Could you come to my house? I have a guest here whose quite ill…A terrible fever…And he's unconscious…No, I don't know, I didn't get a chance to ask. I'm sorry, I can't talk much, I need to attend to him; will you help? …Oh, thank you! Thank you so much. One last thing, tell no one about the guest…Yes, I know, but it's very important that you tell absolutely nobody. You'll understand when you get here. If anybody asks, tell them I'm the sick one…Your word, Kanda. Swear it! *Sigh*…Alright, I'll be waiting."

Kanda was a young doctor who had lived in the town only a few years. He was originally from North Blue, no one knew the specifics but he was quite an agreeable person of great wit and a remarkable sense of humour.

He had, for a time, pursued Rose's hand in marriage but given up after several months of futility. In spite of his good nature and social status, she had felt it was much too early in her life for marriage. The two had however become close friends. He'd eventually stopped talking about his feelings for her and she'd never brought it up.

After the call, she collected some cool water in a little basin and carried it to her bedroom, placing it on a small table beside the bed. She then lit up a few candles to illuminate the room. She then saw that Ace was lying on his back with his legs over the edge of the bed and his feet to the floor. He was beginning to drench in his own sweat. She at least had to remove the hooded cape he had wrapped himself in.

She leaned over him slowly, studying his face for a moment. She noticed for the first time the freckles sprinkled lightly across his face before drawing her attention back to the garment. She tugged gently at the drawstring and buttons and finally worked it open. She began to pull it off of him. His torso was bare underneath the cape, with the exception of a string of large red beads around his neck. Every muscle visible to her was well formed in taught perfection. His long arms were rippled and tattooed, his shoulders broad. His smooth chest was wide and his abdominal muscles were a finely chiselled work of art. His calf-length pants were slung a little low, almost fully exposing his perfect pelvic bone muscles. His body was slick with sweat and glowing in the warm yellow candlelight. Ideas began swimming slowly in her head…

She jolted herself back to the situation with a moral slap. How inappropriate. Pushing herself off the bed, Rose tossed the cloak aside, got on her knees, unlaced and removed his shoes and the socks underneath along with them. She then got back up on the bed, kneeling on the mattress close to the headboard while facing him. She hooked her forearms under his shoulders and dragged his limp weight up the bed until his head was rested on one of her puffy silk-cased pillows. His shoulder length black hair was a mess at the end of it, all thanks to her.

Contented with the results of her pains taken hard work, she moved to dip a clean towel in the basin. After squeezing out the excess water, she began to wipe him down gently with the wet cloth hoping it would give his body a much needed cooling.

It was madness. How could an absolute stranger draw out such contrasting feelings from within her? He wasn't even trying; he was unconscious for crying out loud!

When she was done, she walked back to the living room where she began lighting up candles. The doctor would be arriving shortly. Even before she'd finished the task, there was a knock on the door.

She checked through the glass eyehole before opening.

There he was boyish grin across his face. It was infectious; she couldn't help but smile back. A tall lean young man in his mid twenties with long silver hair, tied in a low ponytail, several strands loosely framing his face. He had in his hand a leather bag, no doubt filled with some medical equipment and various medicines. He was in black suiting pants and a similar waistcoat over a white shirt with its long sleeves rolled up to the elbows. A slim black tie hung loosely around the collar. He didn't have his white lab coat on…_Must've left in a rush_, she thought. "Kanda-kun, please come in."

"Thank you" he replied as he walked in. She closed the door and turned around to face him. The light shone on his features. He was attractive alright, but his best features were his eyes. There was always so much light and laughter in those golden brown eyes. When he smiled, it always seemed so real and so warm because of that. It must have been why everyone found him so approachable.

"Now tell me," he began, smiling still, "what's going on?"

She hesitated a little before she spoke. "I trust you, Kanda-". She paused, bit her lower lip then continued. "I'm trusting you now more than ever."

"You can always trust me, Rose"

"A life has fallen into our hands"

"Well, whose is it?"

"Uumm, well…" she hesitated. Then sighed. "Well, I'd best show you to him. Come with me." She headed down the corridor, beckoning him to follow.

"Oi, to your bedroom?"

"Where else do you suppose? I couldn't well lay him on the table or chairs or on the grass outside"

When she opened the door and led him in, he first took a look around, taking in the appearance of the room. It looked a lot like he'd imagined it would, everything neatly organized, except for a massive heap of clothing in a corner spilling over an armchair. There room was filled with various sheer, lacy, silky, frilly, fluffy, plushy things. Most of all, it smelled just like her; sweet, like something edible: Vanilla and berries or perhaps candy and a hint of some exotic wild flower. In one more step, her bed was in view. Ah, yes, her bed.

It was round and queen size with a heart shaped red velvet quilted headboard and a round canopy suspended from four intricately carved posts that extended upwards from its legs. It made him laugh a bit, the sense of drama it gave off. He never would have expected that much but nearly everything else was on the mark. More pink, more silk, more plush and an unnecessary amount of pillows. Everything about it was as feminine as she, excessive as it was. It felt like glimpsing at a side of her.

There lay the ailing man, his head propped up on one of those pillows. A bit scruffy looking, half dressed and as unconscious as she'd said he was.

Kanda moved over to the side of the bed, intending to begin his diagnosis. She removed the little basin of water from the bedside table and he replaced it with his bag. He opened it and dug around inside, pulling out a stethoscope and draping it over his shoulders. He then turned to the young man on the bed, reaching for the wet towel neatly folded over his forehead. He stopped just short of it. He dropped his arm to his side and continued to stare at the face of the man lying on the bed much in disbelief. Kanda had at last recognized the face and she knew it.

"So this was the reason behind all the secrecy, Rose." His voice was calm but something about the way he'd said her name put a fear in her that she had never imagined he could cause. She gulped. She had prepared herself for his protest and even disappointment but began to feel glad that she had been standing a distance away from the bed.

Kanda pulled the stethoscope off his shoulders, dropping it on the ground and turning in her direction. Already she was gearing up to speak but the words wouldn't come. He slowly walked over to her. There was a menace in the way he did it.

"Kanda, he's quite—" she began shakily but was cut off.

He grabbed her firmly by the upper arm with one hand, his fingers digging deep into the soft flesh through her sleeve. She winced at the pain, beginning to voice a complaint but the look on his face silenced her. Without saying a word, he marched her towards the kitchen and tossed her in. She stumbled at the force of the throw and voiced a little "ouch" reaching for the part where his grip had been tight with her other hand. There would definitely be a bruise left there. Kanda knew that his fury had frightened her, but in that moment, he was beyond a care. She turned to face him.

"There is a pirate in your bed, Rose." He was seething. "WHY is that pirate in your bed?"

"Please Kanda…Calm down." Rose's tone was pleading. "Please understand that I couldn't just leave him like that. He passed out right in front of me. There was no one else. I couldn't just…" Her words trailed off as he was now storming towards her. She felt her heart racing.

"It's him they're looking for, the marines, isn't it?"

"We can't be sure of…" she was backing up away from him, but soon had her back against the wall and he was closing in.

"There's even a vice admiral with them."

"That's just a rumor…" she tried, "N-No one has seen…" He was now but a step away from her, fists clenched.

"Don't be a fool!" He slammed both fists on their sides onto the wall right above her head. He was leaning over her close, his face mere inches away from hers but she had her eyes averted. He was almost one foot taller than her and his height made his stance all the more intimidating. Her words had completely abandoned her. She couldn't even bring herself to meet his eyes.

They had always been honest about themselves to each other but she'd never once seen him that way. Her heart was pounding away hard in her chest. Rose could hardly believe that the person before her was the same Kanda she'd known all along. Couldn't believe he was capable of such a temper. She hadn't thought the discovery would have upset him so much. She turned her head fully to the side.

"Don't be a fool, Rose." He didn't shout that time. "Why would you put yourself at such risk?" When he spoke, she felt his warm breath against her neck. He had lowered his voice to just above a whisper.

Her fear began to melt away. Rose began to grasp a clear understanding of the basis of Kanda's reaction. It was a mixture of emotions. Anger, concern, disappointment... Jealousy? "Look at me," his voice had altogether mellowed.

"…But I couldn't just leave him there…" The words came softly. She turned to face him, finally looking him in the face. There was a slight furrow between his thick shapely brows. When at last she looked in his eyes, what she saw tugged at something in her heart. She recognized it. It was pain. She realized then that the truth had ended up doing more than she had expected. There was much more at play.

"Kanda…" she reached up to his face with one hand, caressing his cheek lightly with her fingertips. So this was Kanda, uninhibited. They had never been so close, physically. She had once kissed him on the cheek once but hadn't meant much by it. It was a gesture of gratitude for a very gentlemanly favor. She had never anything else happen. But this time, nothing had been in her control. Not the circumstances and certainly not him.

"You've heard what they do to people, those damn marines…What they could do to you if they caught you with him," he said, looking deep into her eyes; those beautiful sapphire eyes. The look in them had softened. He didn't know what that look was but he was certain she had never looked at him in that way.

"I know all too well what they are capable of. My mother died protecting us from them. My father has been estranged from us all my life to keep us safe from them."

"If such a thing was to happen to you, I -" He stopped. Her fingers had trailed lower and she was tracing her index finger slowly over his soft lower lip, watching the movement.

In one swift motion he pressed himself against her, claiming her lips with his. He slid his hands off the wall and wrapped them around the small of her waist pulling her into him tightly, lifting her off the ground a little. She had been surprised at the very first instance but her body had willed itself into response. Had she wanted it all along? She put her hands around his neck to cup the nape exposing her body completely to his. Her lush breasts were crushing and heaving against his chest.

He stopped for a moment, looking into her astonished eyed and kissed her again with the same urgency and she responded in kind, grinding her body against his just a little as she did so. It surprised her, the fire he had lit in her. Had she ever wondered how it would feel to be in his embrace? He slid one hand down over her skirt to cup her butt cheek and gave it a good long squeeze, pulling her pelvis into his already growing bulge. Rose found herself moaning into his mouth at it, grabbing at his hair at the base of the ponytail. The sound had been completely involuntary, but as soon as she had made it, the headiness she had been feeling began to dissipate.

She pulled back from him, placing her palms on his chest to push him away gently. Rose wasn't certain whether she wanted to stop but she was afraid he might send her over the edge if she didn't pull away immediately.

Kanda didn't let go. He wouldn't. She was finally coming undone in his arms and he wanted to tear her walls down all the more, if only just to show her what she had been passing up. He placed a small kiss on her jaw then nuzzled his face against her neck placing slow soft kisses all over it. When he thrust his pelvis against hers again, slowly but assertively, she thought she might go mad. She felt her resolve weaken as her body melted into his yet again. He knew exactly what he was doing to her. She tilted her head back and bit her lip stifling a groan. This wasn't what first kisses were made of.

Still, it had all been too sudden. "Kanda…please…stop," she whispered, attempting to push him off her again with more effort. She had to get a grip on the situation before it completely slipped through her fingers.

This time, he complied. He pulled away gently and took a step back. He walked over to the sink and hunched over it, placing is hands over the edge and sighing deeply. He focused to put out his desire.

"I'm not sorry," said he.

"I know… but this was too sudden… and this isn't the time." She thought of Ace lying unconscious in her bed. Shame and guilt washed over her in waves. It felt downright sleazy.

"I know." He smirked.

He looked out through the small window above the sink at the silver full moon, partly covered in wispy clouds. After a few moments, Kanda turned and spoke again. "Are you sure about this?"

She looked up at him and saw that he was smiling again but it was nothing like before. There was nothing particularly warm or reassuring about and she felt yet another wave of guilt. She figured he was talking about the matter of having Portgas D. Ace hidden in her residence.

"I am. He needs our help."

"Frankly, I wish you would reconsider. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, you know."

She thought about his words for a moment before responding, "I can't just look the other way. I know that you can't either." Her smile was soft.

"You know me well. It's a shame…" His let his words trail off and after a moment, left the kitchen and went back to her bedroom.

Rose waited, considering all that had occurred between them. She pressed her fingertips to her lips as if to feel the kisses that had just been so passionately planted on them mere minutes past.

She brushed the thoughts aside and followed after him. There was a more pressing matter at hand.

Back in the bedroom, the young doctor had already begun checking on the patient. She busied herself with replacing the basin water and cleaning the washcloth. When she returned, he was drawing blood from Ace's arm with a needle. "It's clear to me that he has an infection but since I can't see any open wounds on him, I'd like to run some blood tests to decipher the nature of the infection. For now we can try treating the symptoms, just to see if we can prevent the situation from deteriorating."

She set the basin down in the corner and dipped the cloth in it. "How soon will you have results?" She asked.

"It shouldn't take long, but it really depends on what I find. I also think I should only return under the cover of night to avoid raising suspicion at work." He pulled out two small dark brown glass bottles, one large clear one containing an orange liquid and a pack of five needles. "We don't know when he'll wake up so you'll have to administer medication yourself."

He explained to her the contents of the bottles, their purposes, dosages and demonstrated the proper way to give an injection by administering the first dose. When all was done, he packed up, closed the bag and left the room. She followed him out.

He stopped at the doorway and spoke without turning to face her. "What will you do about the pub tomorrow? If you don't open for business without any explanations it might raise some questions. Someone may want to come looking for you."

It hadn't even occurred to her. "I'll think of something."

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Kanda…kun."

She watched him walk away, closed the door and locked it up. What a night it had turned out to be. She put out the lights, made her way back to her boudoir and closed the door behind her. Ace was already covered in sweat again and it was clear to her that she might have to stay up all night to take care of him.

*Moshimoshi - Japanese word for "Hello". Context: Mostly used when answering the phone.

*kun - Suffix used after/at the end of a person's name; one with whom you are not chummy or who you'd like to maintain a respectful social distance with. It's a show of respect. Mostly used with dude's names but I've heard it used with girls's names as well. I'm not sure about that last bit...Maybe someone can confirm.

_Author's note: Sorry for the extra note. So...I was very undecided about that phone call bit: how to go about it and whether to include it at all. Opinions? Rate & review please. Next chapter will be up in a matter of days._ ^_^


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